


Dead and the City

by darkpenn



Series: The Chronicle of Takashi Komura [1]
Category: High School of the Dead
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-09
Updated: 2012-02-09
Packaged: 2017-10-30 20:30:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/335758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkpenn/pseuds/darkpenn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tired of running from the undead, the group decides to hit back. But when zombies are concerned, the best-laid plans …</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dead and the City

_[Author Note: This story begins where the final episode of Season One ends. It begins the story cycle_ The Chronicles of Takashi Komuro _.]_

 

**Z+8**

 

“ … pain in the ass!” said Takashi, hefting the shotgun onto his shoulder. He looked around. Rei, next to him, was … smiling. She lifted her gun as well.

“Lock and load,” said Hirano, climbing onto the Humvee roof and taking up his usual firing position. “Pain in the ass … my ass! Alice, keep the clips coming, please, in case there’s another wave of them.”

“Will do!” said Alice, diving towards the ammunition bag in the back of the Humvee.

“Humph,” said Saya. “There’s only a dozen or so.” She pulled the Luger her mother had given her out of its holster and climbed up next to Hirano. “Hirano, take the three on the right, and the two in those trees. Takashi, the three on the left, and watch out for that big one. Rei, covering fire and watch our rear. Miss Marikawa, keep the engine running. Saeko – ”

Saeko was already moving towards the group in the centre, drawing her sword. She took out one of the zombies on the run, slicing it at the neck, and smashed another with a looping kick. It fell to the ground but reached out and grabbed her ankle. She cut its arm off in a single stroke. She turned to face another, but then its head exploded: from Rei.

“Probably not necessary, I know,” shouted Rei to her, “but better to be safe than bit.”

Takashi’s shotgun blasted three times, and Hirano’s automatic rifle took out the ones on his side. Saeko continued to slash and stab.

Then suddenly all was quiet. Saeko shook the dismembered arm from her ankle. Then she calmly checked the other zombies lying on the ground, decapitating several with her sword. Just to be sure.

“Easy peasy Japanesey,” said Saya.

Hirano looked up. Then he froze, realising that he was looking straight up Saya’s skirt. The man who had just shot five zombies went red with embarrassment. “Uh, Takagi … ” he said.

“Don’t call me that!” said Saya, looking down at him. “And why have you turned that colour? Oh, I see.”

“So … so do I,” stammered Hirano. His glasses turned opaque.

Saya giggled, and then put on her stern face. “Humph,” she said again, and then jumped down. “We should keep going, the noise will attract others.”

There was already movement at the end of the street. The group got into the Humvee and Miss Marikawa turned the vehicle away from the advancing zombies. They drove on.

“Where am I going?” said Miss Marikawa.

“We should get out of the EMP area as fast as possible,” said Saya.

“First, we need supplies, food, water, petrol and bullets,” said Hirano.

“There might still be other survivors,” said Rei. “Our priority should be to try and contact them.”

“I don’t like the sound of the engine,” said Miss Marikawa. “The mechanic at Saya’s house said he didn’t have time to completely repair it.”

“Do you know how to fix it if it breaks down?” said Rei.

“Of course not,” said Miss Marikawa. “I never even opened the hood on my little Mazda.”

“Saya, could you?” said Rei.

“Why on earth should I be able to fix it?” said Saya.

“Because you’re a genius,” said Rei.

“Not at fixing engines,” snapped Saya. “My family has mechanics and drivers for that. Had.”

“Any chance of finding another vehicle?” said Hirano.

“Not in the EMP area,” said Saya. “They’ll all be fried.”

“Still don’t know where I’m going,” said Miss Marikawa.

“There is another matter,” said Saeko softly. “We need a leader. One of us has to make decisions and the rest agree to follow.”

Everyone looked at her. They knew she was right. They all knew that they had no plan and no direction. They were simply driving along in a vehicle that would soon break down, trying to stay alive. Sure, they could beat a dozen or so zombies, but there were many more of them in the city, and they were all hungry.

“I vote Takashi!” squealed Alice.

“I agree,” said Saeko.

“Me?” said Takashi. “Why me!? I can’t do anything like that! I don’t know how to be a leader! I wasn’t even class captain in school!”

“Which now counts for absolutely nothing,” said Rei.

“What about Saeko?” said Takashi. “She’s the best fighter.”

“No,” said Saeko. “The sharpest blade does not always make the wisest general.”

“Then Saya!” said Takashi. “She’s the smartest, and she really took control back there.”

“Yes, I am the smartest,” said Saya. “But the only time I tried to lead anything … well, it didn’t work out. And it was just a volleyball team. People just don’t like to follow me, I guess. I vote for you, Takashi.”

“Takashi it is,” said Hirano.

“Then where to?” said Miss Marikawa.

Takashi suddenly felt overwhelmed. “Um … er, all your ideas are good – ” he stammered.

“What’s that up ahead?” said Miss Marikawa, pointing to a plume of smoke rising up in front of them. As they crested a hill, they saw it: two buses blocked most of the street. One was burned out but still smoking. The other seemed to be slowly moving. With a shock, the group realised that it was being pushed by a gang of zombies. In a few moments, they would have it in a position that would completely block the road.

“Can they do that?” said Saya in surprise. “They’re brain-dead … aren’t they?”

“Apparently not,” said Saeko.

“Miss Marikawa, stop and turn around,” said Takashi. “We’ll find another way past.”

Miss Marikawa put her foot on the brake. Nothing happened. She tried the handbrake. Nothing. The engine began to groan, and then scream. “Uh-oh,” she said.

There was still a space between the two buses. Zombies were climbing onto the roofs.

“Go for the gap!” said Takashi. “Saeko, get on top and take any of them that try and jump on! Hirano, stop any that try and grab us as we pass! Everyone else, strap in if you can! Rei, hold on to Alice!”

“Not much room,” said Miss Marikawa.

“Not much choice,” said Takashi.

Miss Marikawa put her foot down. Smoke started to come from under the hood. Now they were plummeting down the hill, Miss Marikawa struggling to keep control.

Fifty metres.

Twenty.

Ten.

“Fuck!” shouted Miss Marikawa.

They smashed through, pushing the buses aside. The Humvee swayed on its wheels, tottering, almost out of control. Miss Marikawa fought the wheel. There was a thump on the roof, and then another. One zombie vanished under the vehicle, but a second managed to climb onto the hood. It punched through the windscreen and reached for Miss Marikawa, grabbing one of her breasts. She screamed.

Hirano rushed forward and rammed the barrel of his gun into the zombie’s head, and fired. There was an explosion of black blood over the remainder of the windscreen. At the same time, a headless zombie fell off the roof, and then another one: Saeko’s work.

The Humvee careened along the road, swerving from side to side as Miss Marikawa tried to see where she was going. The smoking engine finally burst into flames, and their speed dropped. The vehicle glanced off a streetlight pole, and then ran headfirst into another, coming to a grinding halt. Takashi saw, for a moment, Saeko flying through the air as she was flung from the Humvee roof.

“Everyone still alive?” called Takashi. There was a series of groans, but everyone was, indeed, still alive. They managed to clamber out, Rei lifting Alice to the ground. She was still carrying her smiley-face backpack and she held Zeke inside her jacket.

“Sorry about that,” said Miss Marikawa, looking at the wreck of the Humvee.

“No need to apologise,” said Rei. “It was great driving, under the circumstances.”

“Company on the way,” said Hirano, pointing at the gang of zombies moving towards them. He hefted his guns and his bag of ammunition.

Saeko limped up to them, still holding her sword. She was bleeding from a deep gash on her leg, the result of being thrown against a fire hydrant. Her kendo-based agility had saved her from anything worse but she was clearly hurt.

Petrol was leaking from the Humvee and spreading across the road. There was no time to salvage anything more from the wreck. Miss Marikawa had her medical kit, and she quickly applied an emergency bandage and tourniquet to Saeko’s injury. “There,” said Miss Marikawa, “that should stop the bleeding for the moment but it won’t last long.”

“Let’s go,” said Takashi. “This way.”

“Just a moment,” said Saeko. She hobbled over to the pool of petrol and unsheathed her sword. She scraped the blade over the concrete, creating a shower of sparks. The petrol burst into flame, creating a barrier between the zombies and the survivor group. Several of the zombies simply walked into it, catching fire before falling to the ground.

“Holy crap!” said Hirano. “They go up like paper!”

Takashi led them along the road, looking for a place of refuge. Miss Marikawa and Hirano helped Saeko as best they could. Night was starting to fall. In the darkness, they would be vulnerable.

Finally, Takashi stopped.

“Here,” he said, looking up.

They were standing in front of a shopping mall. The glass doors were shattered.

“Alice,” said Takashi. “Give me Zeke.”

Rather reluctantly, Alice handed the little dog to Takashi. Takashi scratched its ears and then walked up to the doors. He put Zeke on the ground. The pup had a sniff around but didn’t start barking, as it usually did when there were zombies close.

“I think we can go in,” said Takashi to the others. “But be ready for trouble, just in case Zeke didn’t get the idea.”

They moved slowly. The place was a mess but seemed to be empty. There was a central area in the mall, with heavy security doors on both sides and a staircase with a sturdy door that could be locked. There was light from the atrium roof. It was as safe as anywhere.

The pressure off, they sagged down onto the seats in the court.

After a while, Alice got up and looked at the map of the mall. She squealed with delight. “There’s a bookstore, Uncle Kohta!” she said. “Will you please buy me a Spongebob Squarepants book?”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” said Hirano, looking at the map. “There’s a sporting equipment store here. They might have shells. I could use some more.”

“Get on it,” said Takashi. “See what sort of maps you can find as well, we might have to walk for a while. And, uh, take Alice to the bookstore, okay?”

“We’ll need lights,” said Rei.

“I have some candles in my pack,” said Alice. “And some matches too.”

Miss Marikawa put up her hand. “I need to clean and stitch Saeko’s leg. If there’s a pharmacy around here, I should get some anti-biotics for her,” she said.

“Do that, and I’ll stay here with Saeko, keep an eye out for trouble,” he said. He handed Miss Marikawa his revolver. She took it, although she seemed unclear about what to do with it. “Rei and Saya, see if you can find some sort of market, collect as much food and water as you can. Back here in fifteen minutes, all of you.”

As everyone went off to their tasks, Takashi sat down beside Saeko. He heaved a sigh of near-exhaustion.

“Not bad for someone who said they didn’t know how to be a leader,” said Saeko.

“I … really, I don’t … I’m not sure why they would pick me. I don’t have any sense of responsibility. I’ve always dealt with problems by running away from them. On my own.”

Saeko smiled. “You know the good thing about Armageddon?” she said. “It means a chance to start again. I would say that you’ve made a good start.”

Takashi shrugged. “We can’t stay here for long,” he said. “And on foot … well, there’s an awful lot of them. And it will be a while before you’re able to walk properly. And I’m worried about the way those zombies used that bus as a roadblock. Maybe they’re getting smarter. One way or another, eventually we’ll need to find somewhere safe. And we need to find a way to get there.”

“You think that might help?” said Saeko. She pointed to a sign. It said: MALL SHUTTLE BUS, LEAVES EVERY HOUR. BASEMENT CAR PARK.

 

 

 

**PART II**

 

 

Their meal was noodles and canned food cooked over a camp stove and lit by candles.

“There’s something that we might be able to use,” said Takashi. “A mini-bus in the basement, the type that’s built to carry about twenty people. I guess the mall operators used it to collect customers from the local area, that sort of thing. I’ve tried to start it but it doesn’t work. The electrical circuits are fried. Hirano, Saya, if you fiddle around with it do you think you could get it working, maybe replace the broken parts?”

Hirano and Saya looked at each other and then at Takashi. “I doubt it,” said Hirano.

“No,” said Saya.

“Get a book,” put in Alice.

“What?” said Saya.

“A book,” repeated Alice. “I went to the bookstore and they have plenty of books there. On cars. There was a big poster about a book on repairing cars.”




 

 

They took turns keeping watch through the night. They had sleeping bags, and were gathered in the forecourt, around a single candle.

Hirano and Saya had finished their watch, to be replaced by Rei and Saeko. Hirano settled into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. He was dozing off when someone started shaking him.

It was Saya. “Hirano!” she whispered.

“Is it trouble?” he whispered back, reaching for his gun.

“No,” she whispered. “Well, there’s the whole end-of-the-world zombie thing, of course. But no, no trouble.”

“Then what do you want?”

“Move over. I want to get in.”

“Uh, why? Don’t you have your own?”

In the darkness, he could feel her staring at him.

“Hirano, are you stupid?”

“You keep telling me that I am.”

“Well, maybe I was … uh, just move over, can’t you?”

“Why are we whispering?”

“Because I don’t want the others to hear.”

“Hear what? And why not?”

She made a ‘grrr’ sound.

He moved over. She slid in beside him. With a shock, he realised that she was fairly close to naked.

“Do you know what to do?” she whispered.

“N … no,” he whispered.

“Why aren’t I surprised. Fortunately, I know. You’re lucky I’m a genius.”

“So you keep telling me.”

Rei, on watch at the security door, saw the movement in the shadows.

“Well, well,” she said to herself. “How about that.”

 

 

It was the next day, and no sign of zombies – yet. Saya and Hirano were in the basement garage. They had several car repair books and manuals spread out in front of them. They had found a locker of undamaged parts, and they had already managed to remove several fried components from the bus engine.

“So, let’s see, this is the magneto – ” said Hirano.

Suddenly, Saya leaned over and kissed him. Their glasses clicked together. Hirano blushed.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?” he said.

“Moron,” she said. Then she kissed him again. “You know,” she said, “this bus has some nice soft seats … ”

 

 

“I think we can do it,” said Hirano, wiping his oily hands on a rag. He and Saya were speaking to the group. “Another couple of hours, I think. Does that sound about right to you, Saya?”

Saya looked as if she had been dreaming. “What?” she said. “Oh, yeah, of course, whatever you say, Kohta.”

They all looked at her.

“Uh-huh,” said Miss Marikawa.

“Uh-huh,” said Rei.

Saeko smiled her inscrutable smile.

“What?” said Takashi. “Is there something going on?”

“Uh – ” said Hirano.

“No,” said Saya.

Takashi looked dubious. “Anyway,” he said. “We have to start thinking about the future. We can’t just hide and run forever. But I don’t know if we’ll be able to get out of the city, there are simply too many of them. I think we have to try and even up the numbers.”

“You mean, take out a lot at once?” said Rei.

“Yes,” said Takashi. “It’s a big risk, bringing them together, but I think it’s our only chance.”

He unfolded a map of the city, and proceeded to outline his plan.

They were all silent for a while, considering the odds and the options.

“I’m sick of running away from these putrid things,” said Rei eventually. “Let’s go for it.”

“Rock-and-roll!” said Hirano.

“I agree,” said Saeko. “Cry havoc.”

 

 

 

Everyone crossed their fingers as Miss Marikawa turned the ignition key. The engine spluttered and stuttered but eventually rumbled into life. Hirano breathed a visible sigh of relief.

They began to load the equipment they had collected and salvaged from the mall into the bus.

 

 

It was a large park, laid out in a spoke-and-hub pattern of paths leading to a low, classical-style fountain in the middle. They were studying it from the roof of a nearby building.

“I don’t like having to look in so many directions,” said Hirano. “But I guess if we want them to come from everywhere there isn’t much choice.”

“We’ll have to hold the first waves until we get all of them into the open,” said Takashi. “You, me, Saeko and Rei.”

“I’m not as fast as I was, with this wound,” said Saeko. “But I can do what you want.”

“We’ll hold,” said Rei.

 

 

Miss Marikawa, Saya and Alice found that the pump at the petrol station was electrical, and was fried. But they located a manual pump, which they used to fill as many barrels as the bus could carry.

 

 

They were standing at the fountain. Takashi looked at the old-fashioned, non-electrical watch he had taken from the mall store. He turned to Hirano, Saeko and Rei.

“It’s time,” he said.

“Uh, you think she’ll be alright?” said Hirano. “Saya, I mean. She … she is very important to me.”

“You’ll be back in each other’s arms within the hour,” said Rei.

“Wh … what!?” spluttered Hirano. “You … you know!?”

“Saya is walking around with a dazed expression and a big smile,” said Rei. “So yes, we know.”

“I didn’t,” said Takashi.

“Men never do,” said Saeko.

“Well … congratulations, Hirano!” said Takashi. He pumped Hirano’s hand. Rei and Saeko glanced at each other, and both rolled their eyes.

“Let’s not forget that we are about to be engaged in a battle that is likely to see us all dead quite soon,” said Saeko. She pointed to the edge of the park, where zombies had already started to lumber towards them.

Takashi nodded. “Hit it,” he said.

Sitting on the low wall of the fountain was the fire alarm they had taken from the mall, connected to a set of batteries as a power source. Rei took a deep breath, and then flipped the switch.

With an ear-splitting noise, the bell began to clang. All over the city, zombies turned towards the sound.

 

 

“There it goes,” said Saya, in the bus with Alice and Miss Marikawa, in a side-street not far away. “Now, dead quiet and keep the doors closed, and if we’re lucky they’ll walk right past us.”

“And if we’re not lucky?” said Miss Marikawa.

 

 

Hirano and Rei began firing as soon as the first ranks of zombies were in range. They fell, but others replaced them. They were advancing, attracted by the noise, faster than Hirano and Rei could shoot them.

Takashi glanced at Saeko, next to him. In a few moments, the zombies would be in range of Takashi’s shotgun. Then it would be Saeko’s sword.

Saeko bowed her head slightly, and her dark hair fell gently across her face.

“Saeko,” said Takashi. “I think that my heart will eventually belong to Rei. But I have to say that you are truly beautiful.”

She smiled. “I know,” she said.

“Uh, which part?”

“I believe,” said Saeko, “that it is time for us to fight.”

“Oh, right, zombies, yeah,” he said. He aimed his gun and began to fire.

Saeko unsheathed her sword and threw the scabbard aside. She stared at the advancing throng. Then she struck the blade into the ground. She stripped off her shirt, revealing her lace purple bra. She ripped her skirt along the seam, showing her leg to the hip.

“What’s that for?” said Rei between shots.

“If I’m going to leave this life, I’m going to do it on my own terms,” replied Saeko. “No holding back.” She picked up her sword and turned towards the zombies. “Come and get it, motherfuckers,” she said.

 

 

Long lines of zombies had passed the bus, heading towards the park, but now there were only a few.

Saya, Alice and Miss Marikawa let out their breath. Miss Marikawa looked at the dashboard clock. “Let’s go,” she said.

She started the bus and gunned the engine. A few zombies turned towards the bus. Miss Marikawa swerved and ran them over. Then they were speeding towards the park.

There was a road going around the perimeter of the park. Miss Marikawa took it, and opened the door. Saya took the lid off the first barrel and tilted it, so that petrol gushed out and onto the road. When that was empty she pushed it out and rolled up the second.

When they had gone completely around the park, leaving a trail of petrol behind them, they turned inwards, criss-crossing the paths and the grass. Whichever way they turned, there were zombies.

“So many,” muttered Miss Marikawa. “Hundreds. Thousands.”

 

 

“Did you ever hear the legend of the 300 Spartans?” said Hirano, ramming in another magazine. “They held back the entire Persian army.”

“Didn’t they all die?” said Rei.

“Yes, but as last stands go it was a classic,” said Hirano.

The lead zombies were now only ten metres away, and there were many, many more behind them. The alarm has fallen silent but now the zombies were close enough to sense their prey.

As he re-loaded, Takashi could not resist a glance at Saeko. Even injured, she was cutting a bloody swathe through the ranks, a near-naked angel of deadly grace.

“That’s it,” said Hirano. “Out of bullets.” He picked up the baseball bat he had taken from the mall sports store.

“Me too,” said Rei. She checked the bayonet on her rifle.

“And these are my last,” said Takashi. He fired his final shots, and then turned the gun to use it as a club. “So now it’s hand-to-hand.”

“Bring it,” said Rei.

 

 

“That’s all of it!” said Saya, as the last barrel, empty, tumbled out of the bus.

 Miss Marikawa brought the bus to a stop, a little way from the petrol-soaked road. She and Saya jumped out. Several zombies started to come towards them. Saya drew her Luger.

“Throw the flare!” she said to Miss Marikawa.

Miss Marikawa had two signal flares from the sporting goods store. She broke the top from one; it began to spark, and then developed a red flame. She threw it, and it landed on the road. But the flame did not ignite the petrol.

The zombies were close now. Saya knew that she was not a good shot, but she held the gun with both hands and aimed carefully. One went down, and then another, and then another.

Miss Marikawa broke the other flare, which burned blue. “This one has got to work,” she muttered. “Please please please!” She threw it, and it landed on the petrol-soaked grass. It spluttered, flamed, burned … and then went out.

Saya fired and fired. Miss Marikawa drew the revolver from her pocket and shot a zombie that was only a metre away. They could see their friends in the centre of the park, fighting for their lives.

“We have to do … _something!_ ” said Saya.

“I have matches,” said Alice, from the step of the bus. “Here, in my pack. For the candles.”

“Matches!” cried Saya. “Alice, you have to get to the petrol, just over there, and light it.”

“I’m not supposed to play with fire,” said Alice. “Daddy told me.”

“Just do it!” shouted Saya, as she brought down another zombie.

Alice started to cry.

“Saya, you’re not helping!” said Miss Marikawa. She shot another zombie at point-blank range. “Alice, I’m sure your daddy wouldn’t mind this time. You must be a brave girl. And it would really help your Uncle Kohta and Rei and the others.”

Alice wiped her tears away. “Alright,” she said.

Saya pushed another clip into the pistol. “This is my last one,” she said. “After that … ”

Alice ran to the stain of petrol and, kneeling, pulled off her backpack. She found the matches. She tried to strike one, but it broke. So did the second. The third …

 

 

Saeko, Takashi, Rei and Hirano were fighting back-to-back now, surrounded. Even Saeko was near exhaustion, her injured leg draining energy from her.

“I’m sorry I got you into this,” said Takashi. “Guess we should have simply run, after all.”

“No,” said Saeko.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Hirano.

“And if we have to go down, I’m glad that we go down together, Takashi,” said Rei.

Then, over the moaning of the undead, came another sound: a dull roar, growing louder, like an approaching storm.

A sheet of blue flame came sweeping across the park, consuming zombies as it went.

And now it was going to consume them, as well.

“The fountain!” shouted Takashi. “Get under the water and stay there for as long as you can!”

They turned and dived.

The water was only a metre deep but it offered some protection. Looking up at the surface, Takashi saw it turn red, then black, and then slowly return to the colour of the sky. When he could hold his breath no longer, he surfaced. The others came up at the same time.

The fire had passed, leaving just traces of smoke. There were no zombies to be seen, just charred bodies and piles of ash. The four of them, with Saeko still holding her sword, climbed out of the fountain.

The bus came bumping across the blackened grass towards them, stopping a few meters away. Saya jumped out and ran to Hirano. She leaped into his arms and kissed him passionately. “Kohta!” she gasped. “I was so frightened! I thought I was going to lose you, after just finding you!”

Then she realised that everyone was watching. She turned crimson.

“It’s alright,” said Hirano. “They know.”

“Oh,” said Saya. “Well, in that case – ” She kissed him again, even more passionately.

“Nick of time,” said Takashi to Miss Marikawa.

“It was Alice who saved the day,” said Miss Marikawa.

“Yes, it was me,” said Alice, beaming.

“Outstanding work, Alice,” said Saeko. “You are a true hero.”

 

 

“So what’s next?” said Rei to Takashi, as they drove slowly through the empty streets.

“Next?” said Takashi. “I suppose that next we look for a place to build a home. Try and find out what’s left of the world, and see what we can make of it. We’ll just have to do our best. Stay together, care for each other.”

“That,” said Saeko, “sounds like a future worth living for.”

 

 

 

END

 


End file.
